Bucharest, Here I come!

Well, in about a week or so at least! But I am getting ready for it now, and have been for a little while already.

No, I haven’t started packing just yet, even though I so look forward to my next adventure that I kinda want to! But I have started researching a bit and found some information about Bucharest, and some places that I really want to visit.

When I travel solo, plans are rarely set in stone. I don’t want my adventures to be stressful in any kind of way, but taking notes on a few things that I like to visit and see is something that I always do.

The absolute best is to get recommendations from either locals or people you know who’ve traveled to the same destination. When I posted the featured picture in this post and wrote about Bucharest I got a few IMs from people I know that gave me lots and lots of fantastic recommendations! And now I’m even more excited if that’s even possible!

So I have a list of things that I might see and do, I’ve formatted all my memory cards and I’ve located a couple of vegan restaurants and cafés that I really want to try out. Will be interesting to see if they can live up to all the fantastic vegan food in Amsterdam. We’ll see!

Can’t wait to explore Bucharest and to share it with you guys! Let me know if there’s anything in particular that you want to see, or if you have any tips or recommendations for me to see/do while I’m there 💛

 

ClinkNOORD – HOSTEL REVIEW

When I first decided to go to Amsterdam for VidCon Europe 2018, I initially booked a hotel. It was cute, had a library in it and looked like a great place to get some interesting video footage.

But as life and situations often do, things changed and I decided to do something a bit different. I wanted to rent a houseboat and travel with a group of friends, but when the departure date was approaching, the friends that I had hoped would join me couldn’t make the trip this time around. By then, all the houseboats were rented out for the period when I was going.

So I sat down and started browsing the web for an interesting, but also an affordable place to stay. There were some interesting apartments on Airbnb for sure, but I started to think back on my two recent trips to London and how much I enjoyed staying at St. Christopher’s Inn. And then the search for interesting hostels in Amsterdam begun. The one that popped up most frequently with high praise and rating was ClinkNOORD.

I clicked my way into their website and as soon as I started to look through the pictures, I knew that this was the perfect place for me to stay!

It’s a big hostel situated in the Noord district. It sits on the bank of the river IJ, and is just a few minutes boat ride away from the Amsterdam Centraal Station. Oh, and the ferry runs 24/7 and it’s free!

With colorful open spaces and lots of social events going on, I knew that this was my best bet for a social and unique experience while I was traveling alone.

As soon as I got there I was welcomed by a charming receptionist that gave me all the information that I needed to get situated. I got there a few hours before check-in, but they welcomed me to either store my luggage in the luggage room or to use a padlock (you can buy one from them (€6), or bring your own) and lock my things in one of the many storage lockers that they have in the reception area. I locked up my valuables and headed into the city to explore.

Later that day, I got back to the hostel and could find my bunk. I was sleeping in a 14 bed shared facility. I met my bunkmate, a wonderful 68-year-old woman from Canada, and instantly bonded with her. There were lots of stories to be shared throughout the time I was there.

Every bed has its own locker, so you can easily store your valuables while you’re out and about. There’s also a reading light, power outlet and 2 USB charger ports over each bed so you can charge your gadgets. The beds were comfortable. The showers and restrooms were right outside of the room, and it was clean and inviting throughout my whole stay. You can rent towels from the hostel for €3.

They have a kitchen that you can use if you want to make your own food, or you can order food from the café or bar. They have a good range of vegan options for both breakfast/lunch and dinner. I had the falafel sandwich for lunch and it was delicious!

I think what makes ClinkNOORD so special is all of the activities.  Cider pong, quiz, solo traveler meet up, yoga, secret concerts, beer tasting, free guided tours of the city and more. There’s always something to do, and if you just want to be social, then you can head to their bar (Zinc Bar) and use the 2 for 1 voucher that they hand you when you check in. Buy a new friend a drink and chat away!

All in all, I had an absolutely fantastic time! ClinkNOORd is hands down the best hostel I’ve been to so far! I highly recommend it, and I can’t wait to go back!

You tempted to try ClinkNOORD out? Click on the Hotels.com logo below to read more!

☼If you shop via my affiliate link, I get a small commission☼

 

 

Amsterdam – A Magical City

Some cities have magic in them, but the magic will always be different for each person who experiences it. To me, Amsterdam has a certain kind of magic that is hard to put into words. It’s not about being high, although that can certainly make the experience into something special for sure. It’s something else.

It’s the canals and the houseboats. Where people live on water and have a different outlook on life. A city where you’re always close to water.

It’s the crowded streets. The vibe from all the people, and not just the Dutch, but there are people from all over the world. As you walk through the alleys you hear so many different languages, and see so many different and beautiful faces.

It’s the restaurants, the cafés, and the vegan food. A city packed with cozy places to sit down for a meal, a coffee or a smoke.

It’s the atmosphere in this city that makes me smile just thinking back on it.

I guess magic is the only right word to really describe it after all!

During the next couple of days, I will be posting some reviews and other tidbits about my Amsterdam trip, and I can’t wait to share it all with you guys! The video from the trip will be up sometime later this week too, so stick around for that 💛

Now I’m going to get myself a much needed good night’s sleep!

Do you have a city that’s magical to you? Let me know in the comments 😊

 

 

The Year of Adventures

I thought that 2017 was my year of traveling, but it seems like 2018 might be the year instead!

My traveling itch is growing and growing, and now I’ve already booked myself two trips within the next two months! And now that I know that there’s only three weeks left before I’m on a plane again, I get even more impatient! My passport is ready, my backpack is ready to be packed and now I just have to wait…

First trip goes to Amsterdam in March. I’m going to VidCon Europe and I’m also going to spend some quality time in the city I so frequently visited as a kid, but haven’t set foot in for about 17 years.

After that I’m headed to Bucharest! It’s always exciting to go to a place I’ve never been before. I’ve traveled to Romania before, but never Bucharest, so I’m excited to see what it has to offer.

I will be taking my camera along with me, as well as my mac, so there will be daily blogs while I’m traveling!

I’ve been doing daily posts since the beginning of January now, and I really like the flow of it. I hope you guys have enjoyed it so far as well! Let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to explore while on these two holidays, or if there are any subjects you’d like to see me write about in general.

If things go the way I hope, then there will be even more traveling throughout the year of 2018, and I can’t wait to share the journey here with you all 💛

 

 

 

Minicruise to Copenhagen ❈ Travel Vlog ❈ 2017

Let’s make new memories!

I’m currently at Oslo Airport Gardermoen, having breakfast and doing a bit of writing while I’m waiting for boarding to open. Last time I wrote a post from the same place as now, I was headed to London. This plane is bringing me to London too, but this time around I have a transfer flight for a much longer trip. This time I’m headed to somewhere I haven’t been before to see someone I haven’t seen in a long time!

I’m headed to Austin, Texas!

It feels like forever since the last time I was onboard a plane, even though it’s only been a little over three months. That urge to travel is just growing and growing, and I’m very excited to finally be back at an airport, knowing that I’m about to head somewhere new. There’s something so utterly special about the airport atmosphere. It’s like you can feel the excitement in the air, radiating from all the other travellers. And that very feeling feeds me with energy and creativity. I write a lot when I’m at home, but the urge to put words onto paper/screen grows so much stronger the minute I’m on the go and surrounded by other adventurers who are headed to all kinds of places!

Traveling with British Airways will be a new experience for me as well (I don’t think I’ve ever traveled with them) and one thing I’m really curious about, is the food they’ll serve. I’ve requested vegan/vegetarian on my flights and from what I’ve heard it’s usually either a hit or miss. Crossing my fingers for a hit!

My camera is along for the ride, and there will be a Texas video up on my YouTube channel when I get home.

Wish you all a wonderful Thursday and hope you get to go on your own adventure, even if it’s just a minor one! Go out there and make some new memories to treasure!

Bon Voyage!